New lakefront signage highlights kōura restoration efforts

Two new interpretive signs at Rotorua Lakefront are helping to tell the story of kōura restoration and their cultural significance to Te Arawa iwi.

Kōura (freshwater crayfish) are a treasured taonga and play a vital role in supporting healthy lake ecosystems. Once abundant in Lake Rotorua, kōura populations have declined significantly due to habitat loss, degraded water quality, weeds, and predation from introduced catfish.

To help protect and restore kōura populations, scientific organisation Cawthron Institute has been working alongside Te Arawa Lakes Trust through the Fish Futures research programme. Through this initiative they’ve been building special rocky reefs, nicknamed “pā kōura”, made from natural materials that mimic the lakebed environment.

Pā kōura create safe refuge areas where kōura can rest, feed, and grow. So far, pā kōura have been built in Lakes Rotorua, Rotoiti and Ōkaro, supporting efforts to rebuild kōura populations across the rohe.